Spotlight PA

Just over half of the shortfall was due to the economic slowdown caused by efforts to contain the outbreak.

This week, the legislature approved a package that would allocate $2.6 billion for a variety of purposes including providing relief to counties and hard-hit long-term care facilities.

The state Treasury has temporarily halted direct deposit payments for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, and will only issue money by check.

The stopgap measure flat-funds most state agencies for five months and the Department of Education for one year.

Gov. Tom Wolf said he and the GOP-controlled General Assembly are negotiating how to best spend the state’s pot of discretionary dollars.

State Rep. Andrew Lewis (R., Dauphin) said in a statement that he tested positive for COVID-19 last week and immediately began self-isolation.

Under Gov. Tom Wolf’s reopening plan, 49 of 67 counties are already in the “yellow” phase, or the first phase of reopening.

Pennsylvania is including in its official count not only viral tests that reveal who currently has COVID-19, but also antibody tests that show whether a person was previously infected.

Provider associations said publishing erroneous data has sewn panic and anger among family members, distrust among nursing home staff, and frustration for providers.

Gov. Tom Wolf on the same day vetoed a bill to restart the real estate industry, angering Republicans in the legislature.

The rebate program is aimed at low-income seniors and people with disabilities.

As the number of deaths inside Pennsylvania’s long-term care facilities grew, lawmakers and advocates for seniors called on the state and federal government to release the list.

State officials opted against making testing mandatory, and some fear certain facilities won’t follow their suggestions.

The union says health systems are sitting on stockpiles of N95 respirators, leaving nurses without needed protection, as some hospitals restart elective procedures.

Advocates have widely praised the department’s efforts, but are concerned about potential harms to inmate mental health.